A history of customer contact

The story behind RIFF began long before the company itself was founded. In 1985, Tobias Walraven helped establish SNT, one of the Netherlands' first large-scale customer contact organizations.

Over the decades that followed, the industry evolved at remarkable speed. Traditional telephony gradually gave way to email, live chat, social media, and, more recently, advanced AI. As a result, customer contact evolved from a purely operational function into a strategic and essential part of the overall brand experience.

This continuous evolution shaped one of our core beliefs: technology can, and should, make customer service smarter, but people remain indispensable when it matters most.

RIFF was founded in 2010 with a clear ambition: to combine digital efficiency with high-quality, human-centred service. Resourceful, passionate, and decisive.

From day one, our focus was never simply on processing tickets. Instead, we set out to build lasting customer relationships. Technology was never an end in itself, but a means of empowering our specialists and enabling organizations to deliver consistent, dependable service. That vision remains the foundation of RIFF today.

• 1985
  Tobias Walraven helps establish SNT, one of the Netherlands' first large-scale customer contact organizations.

• 2000
  SNT becomes publicly listed, while customer contact evolves into a strategic discipline on an international scale.

• 2010
  RIFF is founded with the ambition of combining digital efficiency with human service.

• 2020+
  Expansion into international, multilingual omnichannel customer engagement.

• Today – Be Digital, Stay Human.
  300+ specialists, ISO-certified quality, and AI-driven solutions provide the foundation for our services.

Customer expectations continue to evolve. Organizations must respond faster, support more channels, and still deliver a personal experience.

RIFF has evolved alongside these changing expectations. From a customer contact specialist, we have grown into an international 24/7 omnichannel partner with dedicated teams for day-to-day customer care, multilingual support, crisis communication, and digital customer engagement.

We continue to invest in both our processes and our people, because it is the combination of digital innovation and human expertise that truly makes the difference.

In a world of increasing complexity, constant noise, and rising customer expectations, genuine human interaction can easily be overlooked. The real challenge is to embrace technology without losing the human touch.

AI, automation, and real-time data are transforming the way organizations communicate with their customers. At RIFF, we see these developments not as trends to follow, but as opportunities to make our services both smarter and more human.

We believe technology creates real value only when it enables people to perform at their best. That philosophy is reflected throughout our services, our teams, and our Be Digital, Stay Human operating model. It is how we continue to shape the future of customer experience.